1959 Highlander Way · New Market,
TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424
e-mail: hrec@highlandercenter.org
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1959 Highlander Way · New Market,
TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424 |
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Grassroots Action for Global ChangePromoting Sustainable Agriculture and Maintaining Food SecurityOrganizations | Videos 
Food is basic to life. As large corporate entities, often referred to as “agribusiness” gain more control over the production of our food supply, we are less certain about the future of small farms and the quality of our food. Small farmers are unable to compete and survive, so they are selling their land and looking for economic survival elsewhere. Consumers are increasingly disconnected from the food production process, thus more vulnerable to food security and food safety issues. Many millions of people in the world live in hunger, and even starve, despite food surpluses elsewhere, because they do not make enough money to buy food. There are concerns around use of agricultural chemicals, genetically modified seeds and life forms, and the impact of trade agreements of agriculture that increase pressure on small farmers around the world. Major organizing is taking place to support small farmers and sustainable agriculture. Local efforts to support food cooperatives and community-supported agriculture are underway. There are also regional, national and international efforts to fight for the survival of small farms and address concerns related to hunger and food security. We list in this section some efforts going on in Appalachia and around the world. We all must take care to make responsible food choices: to be mindful of how the food we eat affects our health and the health of those who produce and harvest it, and to take steps that move the world toward sustainable agriculture and the elimination of hunger. OrganizationsRegionalCenter for a Livable Future
Center for a Livable Future is at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomburg School of Public Health. It is a research unit that studies interactions between “diet, health, food production and the environment in the search for practices that are equitable, environmentally sustainable, and healthful for the rapidly growing world population.” Read about some of their research projects at http://www.jhsph.edu/environment/. Community Farm Alliance CFA is a Kentucky-wide grassroots organization “committed to family-scale farming as the most efficient and sustainable form of producing the best quality food, while protecting the environment and strengthening rural community life.” They help local communities identify and act on their own long-term needs; help locals develop leadership skills; promote the interests of rural people; build connections between rural and urban organizations around food, land, and economic justice issues; and promote agricultural diversification so that Kentucky will be less dependent on tobacco. A 2003 report about locally integrated food economies, produced by CFA, is available at this site: http://www.foodroutes.org/doclib/cfa_kentucky.pdf. Community Supported Agriculture CSA is an agreement between people who ‘join’ a farm to share in both the expenses and the produce. Typically, a family or individual will pay an annual fee to receive a weekly share of fresh (often organic) produce during the growing season. The share of produce will vary depending on the season, and may be larger or smaller at different times, depending on what is available. CSA farms are located in many parts of the United States, and can be located at this USDA web site: http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/csastate.htm. Equal Exchange, Inc. Equal Exchange is a Massachusetts-based coffee importing company based that is committed to principles of fair trade in choosing coffees, paying farmers, and all aspects of the coffee industry. They sell certified organic coffees. Federation for Southern Cooperatives The Federation for Southern Cooperatives helps family farmers, especially African Americans, by developing programs to increase income and assist in land retention. Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group links more than 120 organizations in the South with a goal of creating a sustainable food and farming system. Southern SAWG has helped state and local organizations since 1991 through such activities as promoting knowledge on sustainable farming practices; enhancing partnerships that encourage viable agricultural businesses; furthering connections between farmers and consumers; and promoting leadership development. Southern SWAG convenes an annual conference on sustainable agriculture for Southern agricultural producers, researchers, and educators. They support school and neighborhood garden projects to teach youth about gardening, nutrition, resource conservation and sustainability. See their web site: http://www.ssawg.org/. NationalInstitute for Agricultural and Trade Policy IATP’s mission is to promote “resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world through research and education, science and technology, and advocacy.” IATP educates the public about how international trade agreements would affect local communities, while working with organizations around the world to analyze how global trade agreements impact domestic farm and food policies. IATP is developing alternative economic models that include clean sources of energy such as wind power and biofuel that would spur rural development. It is also working with landowners to form cooperatives that promote sustainable forest management. The IATP website has many resources on trade, agriculture, water, the environment and agribusiness. Oxfam America Oxfam America is a Boston-based international development and relief agency affiliated with Oxfam International. Working with its local partners, Oxfam delivers emergency relief services, and campaigns for local and global changes that will keep people out of poverty. Their programs in the United States include: Preserving a Living for Family Farmers; Promoting Workers Rights, Supporting Native Americans Affected by Mining; and the Campaign for a Just Food and Farm Policy. InternationalBrazilian Landless Workers Movement The MST is a 20-year-old rural workers’ organization in Brazil. It began with rural workers fighting for land and agrarian reform. The MST claims land and builds communities for thousands of landless workers. The MST now has over 350,000 families in settlements and 150,000 in camps. The MST develops organic farming cooperatives, international networks of farmers, such as Via Campesina above, as well as programs to improve literacy, communications and sustainable communities. Greenbelt Movement – Kenya The Green Belt Movement, based in Kenya, is working to “create a society of people who consciously work for continued improvement of their environment” and to “mobilize community consciousness for self-determination; equity, improved livelihoods securities and environmental conservation.” GBM uses tree planting to introduce people to these ideas. Via Campesina Via Campesina is “an international movement which coordinates peasant organizations of small and middle-scale producers, agricultural workers, rural women, and indigenous communities from Asia, Africa, America, and Europe.” Via Campesina has been working since 1999 to get the World Trade Organization “out of agriculture,” to promote food security, and to support family farm-based sustainable agriculture. VideosStrong Roots – The Landless Worker’s Movement in Brazil Pedro, Antonio and Luis joined Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement in search of a piece of land, dignity in their lives, and justice in their society. Through their memories and their day-to-day lives in Pernambuco and Bahia, they bring us a personal portrait of one of the most vital social movements in Latin America today. Over the past 15 years, the Landless Workers’ Movement has won 20 million hectares of land for 300,000 families and built thousands of food production cooperatives and schools. These land occupations bring new life to struggling farmers and families while pressuring the Brazilian government to implement agrarian reform. VHS, Portuguese with English subtitles. 41 minutes, 2001. Individual $25.00, institution $100.00. Other ResourcesArticles on Agriculture and Trade Liberalization in Mexico Read great articles like, “NAFTA, Corn and Mexico’s Agricultural Trade Liberalization,” available at http://www.americaspolicy.org/reports/2004/0402nafta.html on the IRC website. “Karnataka State Farmers Union – an Inspiration to Us All” This article is about the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha Farmers Union, an Indian peasant farmers' movement, created in 1980 to address problems farmers face related to global trade. “Voices From the Countryside: Voices of Coffee Growers in Chiapas” This four-page article shares stories of coffee growers on small farms and farming cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico. |
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